Top Secret
by suzie2b
Summary: The Germans go after some important documents before the Rat Patrol can get them to Benghazi


**Disclaimer: **_**The Rat Patrol**_** is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

**Top Secret**

**By Suzie2b**

**The Rat Patrol arrived at the coordinates Captain Boggs had given them. Now they had wait for the rendezvous.**

**Tully asked, "Do we know what kinda plane we're lookin' for?"**

**Troy didn't take his eyes off the sky as he said, "A British Fairey Fulmar."**

**Moffitt scanned the horizon with binoculars. "It should be here any time now."**

**Hitch asked, "Is it going to land?"**

**Troy shook his head. "He'll make a low pass and drop the package. Then we get it to Benghazi."**

"**Why doesn't the pilot just go to Benghazi himself?"**

"**Captain Boggs didn't say and we didn't ask."**

**A few minutes later they heard the sound of an airplane.**

**Moffitt spotted it first. He pointed and said, "There it is."**

**Troy said, "Get that flag out so he knows it's us."**

**Tully got into the back of the jeep and unfurled a Royal Union Flag while Hitch waited at the front of the jeep. As the plane flew over, Tully tossed one end of the flag to Hitch to hold while he held the other. It completely covered the jeep's hood.**

**As the pilot made his circle, there was suddenly cannon fire. The Fairey Fulmar was hit and black smoke began to billow from the aircraft. The pilot fought to get the plane higher, then, as it passed overhead again, he pushed the canopy opened and bailed out.**

**The cannon fire stopped as the four Allies saw the pilot's parachute open, then the machine gun fire began. They could only watch helplessly as the pilot jerked several time and then hung limply in the parachute's harness.**

**Tully quickly gathered up the red, white, and blue striped flag and stowed it in the jeep as Troy shouted, "Let's shake it!"**

**They kept their eyes on the parachute as they sped in the direction the pilot was floating. There was a fire ball in the distance that told them the plane had crashed.**

**The pilot hit the ground hard and didn't move. As the jeeps came to a halt, a gust of desert wind caught the light weight silk of the parachute and began to drag the pilot's lifeless body.**

**Tully and Hitch sped around the parachute, letting it hit them head on and deflate. The privates quickly got out and began to gather the silk up before it had a chance to catch another gust.**

**Troy and Moffitt jumped out and hurried to the pilot. Moffitt checked for a pulse – there was none. He looked up at Troy and shook his head.**

**Troy was angry as he said, "See if the package is on him."**

**Moffitt searched the body and found a large, thick, blood smeared manila envelope marked "TOP SECRET" tucked into his waistband under his flight jacket. "It's here."**

"**Okay, Hitch, you and Tully start digging. Bury the pilot and all of his gear."**

**##################**

**That evening while cleaning up after dinner, Tully noticed the envelope tucked in Moffitt jacket. "If that pilot had dropped the envelope from the plane, what would've kept it from blowing away on the wind?"**

**Moffitt said, "According to Captain Boggs the plan was he ****would have put the envelope in a weighted box and dropped it with a small parachute. But, unfortunately for the pilot, there was no report about the antiaircraft cannons."**

**Troy returned after making radio contact with headquarters. "I got through and let them know we have the package."**

"**Did you mention the plane being shot down?"**

"**Yeah, and that the pilot was killed after he jumped out."**

**Tully stowed the last of the gear in the jeeps and asked, "Isn't there something in the Geneva Conventions about that? Doesn't seem right what those Germans did."**

**Troy sighed and shook his head. "Not yet anyway. In my opinion you're right, though. There's nothing 'right' about shooting a defenseless man escaping his disabled airplane."**

"**Do you think the Germans found out about the package drop?"**

**Moffitt said, "That's always a possibility. They could've intercepted a radio transmission that told about the coordinates we were to meet at."**

**Troy said, "That message would've been coded."**

"**Codes are broken all the time."**

"**Yeah, that's all too true." Troy looked up at Tully and said, "Why don't you check the jeeps over so they're ready to go in the morning, then go take over watch from Hitch."**

**Tully nodded. "Right, sarge."**

**After the private walked away, Moffitt said, "You knew, Troy, if the Germans are aware of these documents, they could very well come after us to try to get them."**

**Troy lit a cigarette and said, "I was just thinking about that. We'll just have to get to Benghazi before they catch up with us."**

**##################**

**At first light, Troy sent Moffitt and Tully out to do recon of the area before they headed for Benghazi. They returned to camp an hour later and Moffitt announced, "We didn't see any signs of the enemy. At least not yet."**

**Hitch asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"**

**Troy said, "It means there's a possibility that the Germans that killed that pilot will be coming after us to get ahold of the documents we have."**

"**Tully did mention your conversation last night. So you think they were there waiting for that plane?"**

"**The more I think about it, the more plausible it is. Let's shake it."**

**##################**

**High on a dune Sergeant Zigfrid Platz of the German Afrika Korps watched with binoculars as the Rat Patrol drove away from the wadi they'd spent the night in.**

**He and his squad of men had been sent out to collect the downed pilot, only to find that the Allies had gotten there first. All they found was a grave and the tracks made by two jeeps. Platz knew the documents wouldn't be there, but had his men exhume the body to be sure. They located the wrecked Fairey Fulmar. However, if the papers had been in the plane, they had burned along with it. The sergeant decided the pilot would have jumped with the documents in hand and now the men in the jeeps that had left the area had taken the prize he wanted.**

**Platz had radioed his superior and was told to follow with the intention of recovering the documents and to take the Allies prisoner.**

**Sergeant Platz had his men follow the jeep's tracks until it was too dark to see them.**

**When daylight came they were again on the Allies trail. Unfortunately, when the Germans caught up with the jeeps, they were leaving the wadi they'd obviously spent the night in.**

**The sergeant gave orders to follow, but not too close. They would bide their time and wait for the right moment to strike at their enemy.**

**#################**

**The Rat Patrol was taking a quick break at a waterhole. Hitch and Tully were topping off their water supply while Moffitt checked his map.**

**Troy stepped over to lean on the jeep next to his counterpart and stare out at the desert in the direction they'd come from. "We're being followed."**

**Moffitt looked up and checked where Troy was staring. "Are you sure. I don't see anything."**

"**I have the feeling we're being watched."**

**Knowing that Troy's hunches were usually correct, Moffitt said, "Could be the Germans that shot down that plane want the documents we're carrying badly enough to come after them."**

**Troy nodded. "My thought exactly. They're going to try to hit us before we get to Benghazi." Hitch and Tully returned and were lashing the water cans down in the back when Troy said, "As of now we're on higher alert than usual."**

**Tully looked around at the desert beyond the waterhole. "Are we being followed?"**

**At Troy's silent nod, Hitch said, "You think the Germans want that envelope?"**

**Troy said, "It would make sense."**

**Moffitt inquired, "If the Germans did know about the drop, why didn't they try to get rid of us too?"**

"**They would want the drop to go off without a hitch. Let us make contact, then come in for the kill."**

**Hitch said, "It didn't happen that way, though."**

**Troy said, "Yeah, for some reason it didn't. Okay, let's get going."**

**#################**

**The next time the Rat Patrol stopped it was at another waterhole, but this one had long since dried up. The dead scrub brush did little to hide them. Hitch stood watch while Tully topped off the gas tanks. Troy and Moffitt spread their maps of the area on the hood of one jeep.**

**Hitch went to the top of the small dune they'd stopped next to. With binoculars he was scanning the area surrounding them when something caught his eye – like the sun reflecting off a piece of glass. The private waited until he was sure, then called down, "Hey, sarge! I think we're being followed!"**

**Troy hurried to the top of the dune. He took the binoculars as he asked, "What did you see?"**

"**Germans. Looks like a squad. They're just sitting there in the open like they're waiting for something."**

**Troy peered through the field glasses and saw two of the Germans standing on the hoods of their halftracks with binoculars looking back at him. "I'd say they know we're here all right."**

"**Why would they be following us?"**

"**Probably looking for an opportunity to get their hands on the documents."**

**Troy and Hitch started down the dune as the private asked, "So you think they're from the bunch that shot down the plane?"**

**Troy replied, "That would be my best guess." At the bottom, they joined Moffitt and Troy called Tully over to join them. "It looks like we are being followed. I'm thinking they're from the detail who shot down our pilot."**

**Moffitt said, "It would seem you were right, Troy. They're coming after the package."**

**Troy leaned on the jeep and traced a route on the map. "Why don't we circle around and come up on either side of them. We should be able to do enough damage to knock them out of commission."**

**Hitch said, "But they're watching us and they know we know they're there. How're we going to sneak up on them?"**

**Tully said, "I say we just go at 'em head on with guns blazin'."**

**Troy smiled slightly. "I like the way you think, Tully, but I think this time we'll do it my way."**

**#################**

**The jeeps left the waterhole together and fast. Sergeant Platz immediately ordered his men to follow.**

**When Troy figured they were just far enough ahead of the Germans to be out of their sight, he signaled Tully to break left and Hitch turned to the right.**

**Hitch and Tully maneuvered the jeeps in a sweeping arc and headed towards to German squad from either side. Troy and Moffitt had climbed into the back to man the 50 caliber machine guns.**

**The Germans were so completely caught off guard that half of Platz's men were dead before they had a chance to respond with their mounted 30 caliber machine guns and rifles.**

**Hitch heard the bullets ricochet off the front of the jeep, but continued to push on and around the German halftracks the same as Tully was doing. It was going fairly well for the Allies until Troy's 50 jammed and he couldn't clear it. When Hitch realized the problem, he turned to get away from the skirmish, only to hear the engine cough and begin to sputter. As the jeep slowed, steam and smoke started to erupt from the engine compartment.**

**Two of the halftracks broke away to go after the obviously disabled vehicle and had the Americans surrounded before Hitch had a chance to reach for the machine gun in its fender holster.**

**Moffitt didn't stop firing as he kept half an eye on Troy and Hitch. When the Germans had the jeep surrounded and was holding the two occupants at gunpoint, the sergeant signaled Tully to break off the attack even as he continued to fire.**

**Two of the remaining halftracks that were still running began to follow, but Sergeant Platz called them back via the radio.**

**As Troy and Hitch stood with their hands in the air, Platz ordered several of his men to search the two Americans and the jeep.**

**After a thorough search, one of the men said, "Es gibt hier keine Dokumente, Unterfeldwebel."**

**Sergeant Platz didn't take is eyes off Troy and Hitch as the man spoke. Then he said in English, "I want the documents."**

**Troy asked, "What documents?"**

**Looking impatient Platz said, "The ones that the pilot was carrying, of course."**

**Troy glanced at Hitch, then said, "We don't know what you're talking about."**

"**Since they are not on your person or in your vehicle, I can assume those in the other jeep have them."**

**Troy stared back at Platz, but said nothing.**

**#################**

**Tully had taken them to a nearby sand dune, where he and Moffitt now stood watching to see how things played out. They weren't trying to hide, but Tully had made sure they were out of range of the Germans guns.**

**They saw the Germans search the jeep as well as Troy and Hitch. They came away empty handed.**

**Moffitt peered through binoculars and said, "I don't need to hear them to know what they're talking about."**

**Tully nodded slowly. "They want that envelope. What're we gonna do?"**

"**We wait to see what the Germans have in mind."**

**After several tense minutes of watching, Sergeant Platz waved a white flag in their direction.**

**Moffitt looked at Tully. "Shall we go see if they are willing to make a trade?"**

**Tully looked at his sergeant and said, "We can't trade top secret documents … even if it is for Troy and Hitch."**

**Moffitt smiled. "Don't worry, I don't plan to give them what's in the envelope."**

**They walked down to the jeep and Moffitt emptied a canvas bag. He carefully opened the envelope and took the paperwork out to put in the bag. Moffitt then handed it to Tully and said, "Go bury it over there under that scrub."**

**As the private went to do as he was told, Moffitt took two long outdated maps from the glove compartment, placed them in the envelope, and resealed it. He was tucking it back into his jacket when Tully returned. Moffitt said, "Whatever happens, play along."**

**#################**

**Tully drove slowly out from behind the dune and went to where the Germans waited with Troy and Hitch. He stopped the jeep about a hundred yards from them.**

**Moffitt got out of the passenger side and walked to stand in front of the jeep, making sure the envelope could be seen. He gave Platz a cold look as he asked, "What do you want, sergeant?"**

**Platz smiled as he said, "I want the envelope you have in your coat."**

"**Sorry, I don't think so."**

**After a brief hesitation, Platz suggested, "A trade then?"**

**Moffitt's eyebrows went up as if surprised. "A trade?"**

**Platz nodded. "Yes. You give me the envelope and in turn I will release the prisoners."**

**Moffitt didn't immediately answer, acting as if he were contemplating the trade.**

**Tully quickly got out of the jeep and walked over to Moffitt. He said loud enough to be heard by the German sergeant, "You can't seriously be thinking to trade top secret documents! I know it's Troy and Hitch, but … you just can't do it!"**

**Moffitt didn't look at the private as he said, "I'll take full responsibility."**

**Troy frowned, not believing what Moffitt was thinking of doing, but wanting to play along to keep it believable. "Don't do it, Moffitt. You'll be court-martialed."**

**Ignoring Troy, the sergeant said to Platz, "All right. As soon as the Americans are over here…"**

**Platz interrupted, "No, sergeant, we will do this my way. I will send one of my men with yours. You will send your man with the envelope. When both sides reach the midway point the exchange will be made."**

"**And as soon as you have what you want, you'll no doubt open fire on us."**

**Platz shook his head. "I give you my word that I will not do that if you promise the same. The four of you will be able to leave here no worse for wear."**

**Moffitt said, "You have my word, sergeant. What about the jeep?"**

"**I am afraid it is too damaged to drive, but I will allow you to collect the supplies after we have gone."**

"**Very well. Let's get this over with."**

**Sergeant Platz signaled one of his men, who set his rifle aside and stepped over to Troy and Hitch.**

**Moffitt handed the envelope to Tully and said, "Don't try anything. Just give it to him and come back with Troy and Hitch."**

**Tully nodded and turned to face Troy, Hitch, and their guard.**

**Platz said, "Beginnen."**

**The German private gave Hitch a slight shove to get the Americans moving, then Tully followed suit. They walked slowly towards each other, never taking their eyes off one another.**

**The four men stopped approximately midway between Tully's jeep and the Germans. Troy and Hitch stepped passed the guard as Tully handed over the envelope. Then both Tully and the German turned to go back to where they started from.**

**With the envelope in hand Sergeant Platz ordered his men into the halftracks. "Thank you, gentlemen, for being so cooperative. My superiors will be disappointed when I return without prisoners, but I think having these documents will satisfy them." Then he got in next to the driver and said, "Auf geht es."**

**The German vehicles started up and headed away from the Allies.**

**They watched the enemy go, then Moffitt said, "I suggest we get the supplies and get out of here. If he opens that envelope before he hands it over, they'll be back here rather quickly."**

**Troy nodded. "Yeah. The 50 is jammed, but we'll take it anyway. Get the guns, ammo, blankets, and water."**

**Hitch said, "Right, sarge."**

**He turned and headed for his jeep while Tully went to move the other.**

**Troy watched as the German vehicles disappeared in the distance. "You took quite a chance. What if he opened that envelope before he gave the order to leave?"**

**Moffitt shrugged with a slight smile. "I'm not sure really. Would you have opened a sealed envelope marked 'top secret'?"**

**Troy chuckled quietly. "No, I guess I wouldn't as long as it felt like it had something in it. But then I'm not a German trying to score points with his superiors." He looked at Moffitt curiously and asked, "What was in it anyway?"**

"**A couple of long outmoded maps that I neglected to dispose of."**

**Tully called, "We're ready to go, sarge."**

**Troy and Moffitt walked over as Tully got behind the wheel and Hitch climbed into the back. Troy joined his driver while Moffitt got in next to Tully. Just before they drove away, Troy armed a grenade and tossed into the disabled jeep.**

**##################**

**Tully took them back to the sand dune where the real paperwork was hidden. He went to the spot under the scrub and began to dig while Hitch went up on the dune.**

**A few minutes later, as Tully was handing the canvas bag to Moffitt, Hitch hollered, "Hey, sarge! You might want to see this!"**

**Troy hurried up with Moffitt and Tully close behind. "What's going on?"**

**Hitch pointed. "Looks like they're coming back."**

**The Allies watched as the halftracks stopped near the still smoldering jeep. Sergeant Platz climbed out and looked around until he spotted the four men standing on the dune.**

**Tully questioned, "Think he'll come after us? It'd be easy enough to follow our tracks."**

**Then Platz threw a large manila envelope on the ground before he returned to his seat in the halftrack. The vehicles moved back in the direction they'd come from.**

**Moffitt said, "I guess that answers that question."**

**Troy gave a nod. "We better get moving. It's going to take two days to get to Benghazi and with just the one jeep we're going to have to dodge the enemy instead of engaging them."**

**The Allies went down and piled into the jeep for the journey to their destination.**

**##################**

**They were glad to reach Benghazi. While Hitch and Tully went to the motor pool, Troy and Moffitt went to report to Captain O'Connell.**

**In the captain's office, Troy handed over the documents.**

**O'Connell took the canvas bag with a frown. "What's this, sergeant?"**

**Troy stated, "The top secret documents you've been waiting for, captain."**

**O'Connell began to pull the bag open as he asked with not just a little dismay in his voice, "You put top secret papers in a canvas bag? Why?"**

**Moffitt replied, "I needed the envelope to make a trade, sir."**

**O'Connell extracted the documents. "You're sure they're all here?"**

"**Yes, sir, every page. I was very careful to keep them order."**

**O'Connell sighed with relief as he got a manila envelope out of his desk. He slid the paperwork inside as he asked, "Now, what kind of trade did you make?" Troy opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted as the captain said, "No, never mind…" O'Connell knew from experience what the Rat Patrol was capable of. "Just put it all in your report. It should make for some interesting reading."**


End file.
